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Patrolman

Hector Garza

San Antonio Police Department — San Antonio, TX

Felonious

End of Watch March 29, 2001

Age 48

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

The Vigil Panel 148 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 63

Incident

Patrolman Hector Garza was shot and killed after responding to a domestic dispute.

Two officers were initially called to the residence at approximately 7:45 a.m. to stand guard while a resident removed possessions from the house. Officers were summoned back to the residence at approximately 8:55 a.m. for another disturbance involving the man and his wife. The two were arguing in a bedroom, and the male had his back to Patrolman Garza when he attempted to separate the two. The male suddenly spun around and shot Patrolman Garza in the head with a Mac-10 semi-automatic handgun.

The suspect then shot and killed his wife before chasing the woman's brother-in-law. After running out of ammunition, he went back into the home and got an AK-47 shot and wounded the brother-in-law, and then shot Patrolman Garza again as he lay on the ground.

The suspect was apprehended and charged with two counts of capital murder and three counts of attempted capital murder. The suspect's mother was also charged in connection with starting the incident that led to the murders and sentenced to one year in prison.

Patrolman Garza's killer was convicted of capital murder and subsequently executed on October 27, 2011.

Patrolman Garza had served with the San Antonio Police Department for 25 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and five children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

25 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman Garza gave the San Antonio Police Department 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the San Antonio community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Garza.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department San Antonio Police Department

Type Other

Location San Antonio, Bexar County, TX

Platform Identity sapd.bexar.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 29, 2001

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

Age 48

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun; Mac-10

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Hector is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2001, 158 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 23rd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Hector was 48. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Hector had served 25 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun; mac-10, in 0% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded